Insect traps and monitoring system

ABSTRACT

A discrete and safe automated insect monitoring system includes a housing, an interior chamber within the housing, and a light source arranged within the housing to illuminate at least a portion of a floor surface of the interior chamber. A multi-pixel optical sensor is arranged within the housing so that a field of view of the sensor comprehends a substantial portion of the floor surface. A processing circuit arranged within the housing receives optical data from the multi-pixel optical sensor, analyzes the optical data to detect the intrusion of an insect or other object into the interior chamber by comparing most recently received optical data to previously received optical data, and generates an indication in response to detecting the intrusion of an insect or other object. Detection and/or classification results can be wirelessly forwarded to another device, to alert appropriate personnel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to pest control, and moreparticularly relates to the detection of bedbug infestations.

BACKGROUND

Indoor insects are considered “pests” because they can be nuisances anda source or symptom of health risks. Detecting pests is the first stepto know a problem exists. Classifying them is essential to prescribe andimplement an appropriate treatment. Doing both quickly can preventinfestations.

Personally encountering pests is one way to both detect and classify.People may readily see or feel ants, flies, gnats and mosquitoes becausethese insects make little effort to conceal their presence. People mayalso see cockroaches, fleas and bedbugs, but more effort or chance isrequired because they are nocturnal, very small and/or hideout-of-sight. Seeing and feeling insects, in general, can invokevisceral reactions, rational or not. Being bitten or stung can alsoresult in physical reactions. Thus, people generally prefer to notencounter pests at all, especially in their living spaces.

Traps rarely eradicate pests, but can reduce encounters between pestsand humans. Conventional traps tend to require significant human effortto inspect, detect and classify incarcerated insects or remains thereof.Traps also do not provide any indication when pests enter them;significant time may elapse between inspections, allowing infestationsto propagate.

Conventional traps can also be obtrusive and dangerous. For example,they may occupy significant space in plain sight, produce odors, releasetoxins, and ensnare children or pets.

Conventional traps can also be expensive. Many traps on the market costseveral tens of dollars and still require human labor to frequentlyinspect them. Some traps even require chemicals and dyes to lure and/orilluminate trace indications of pests; this compounds the associatedlabor requirements.

For several reasons, bedbugs are of particular concern to homeowners aswell as hospitality and transportation industries. Considered more of anuisance than a health hazard, bedbugs lurk in dark crevices of livingspaces. Bedbugs are small, flat, wingless insects with six legs that,like mosquitoes, fleas, mites and biting gnats, feed exclusively onblood from animals and humans. They range in color from nearly white tobrown, and they turn rust-red after feeding. The common bedbug isusually less than 0.2 inches (5 mm) in length, making it easy to misswith the naked eye. Bedbugs are so named because they mostly hide inbedding and mattresses.

Bedbugs are commonly found in hotels, hostels, shelters, apartmentcomplexes, cruise ships, buses, airplanes, trains, and waiting rooms,all of which are places where multiple people may pass through and/orstay for brief periods of time. Bedbugs are nocturnal and can hide inbeds, floors, furniture, wood and paper trash during the day. Becausebedbugs hide in small crevices, they can stow away in or on luggage,pets, furniture, clothing, boxes and other objects. Bedbugs may relocatefrom their original luggage homes to adjacent luggage in cargo holds,causing further spread. Bedbugs are found worldwide, but are most commonin developing countries. And, not surprisingly, bedbugs are most noticedin areas of greater human concentration.

In the U.S., it is estimated that there are approximately 500-milliondwelling spaces that could potentially harbor bedbugs. These includeapproximately 10 million hotel/motel beds, 40 million dorm rooms andapartments, and 350 million other residential rooms. Other spaces whereinfestations might occur include rental rooms in vacation properties,ships, ferries, buses, and passenger train cars.

Bedbugs have an average life span of 6 to 12 months, but can survive incertain environments for up to four years. They only feed on blood,through all life stages, and require one or more blood feedings toprogress to each of several life stages. Bedbugs can go weeks withoutfeeding.

The table below indicates the lengths and habits of bedbugs at variouslife stages.

TABLE 1 Stage Length Comments Egg 1 mm Eggs hatch within 6-10 days, andhatchlings immediately seek blood meal 1^(st) Instar 1.5 mm Takes ablood meal, then molts 2^(nd) Instar 2 mm Takes a blood meal, then molts3^(rd) Instar 2.5 mm Takes a blood meal, then molts 4^(th) Instar 3 mmTakes a blood meal, then molts 5^(th) Instar 4.5 mm Takes a blood meal,then molts Adult 5.5 mm Takes repeated blood meals over several weeksAdult Male 5.5-6.5 mm Increases length by ~20% when engorged, matescontinuously Adult 5.5-6.5 mm Females lay up to 5 eggs per day Femalecontinuously

Peak bedbug biting activity is usually just before dawn. They can feedwithout waking their unwitting hosts. Meals are procured in as little asthree minutes, after which the bedbugs are engorged and detach fromtheir host, crawling into a nearby hiding place to digest their meal.Hosts typically do not feel their bites because bedbugs inject a numbingagent into the body, along with an anticoagulant to keep blood flowingas they extract it. The first sign of bedbug bites may be itchy, redbumps on the skin, usually on the more readily-accessible upper torsoarms or shoulders. Bedbugs tend to leave straight rows of bites. Bedbugbites do not usually require treatment, although secondary infectionscan occur. Some people do have allergic reactions to bedbug bites,requiring medical attention.

Hosts passively lure bedbugs and other blood-consuming pests in multipleways, but research has shown that the most effective attractants areheat and carbon dioxide (CO2). Most conventional traps are passive, andrely on bedbugs falling into inescapable spaces or sticking to adhesivesurfaces that interrupt their traffic patterns between perceived hostsand hiding places. Some traps are more active, however, and attempt toemulate host-like heat and CO2 generation; they may also includepheromones, kairomones, and various other chemicals. Unfortunately,traps like these can have drawbacks. First, generating or releasing CO2elevates the toxicity inside a living space. Second, because humans cangenerate upwards of 40 liters of CO2 each hour, bait chambers can bevery bulky and rely on unstable or offensive chemical reactions toemulate human-level signatures. Third, refreshing the bait(s) can beexpensive due the cost of the chemicals and labor. Fourth, suchchemicals can be offensive and potentially toxic to humans and pets.

Quality hoteliers strive to provide guests with positive experiences.Steps are regularly taken to ensure that living spaces are hygienic,neat, affordable, and inoffensive. Hoteliers are very concerned aboutguest perceptions, in part because consumers rely heavily on reviews,which social media have made more voluminous and available. Hoteliersare also concerned about liability. And, of course, hoteliers areconcerned about costs, whether from lost revenues or pestsearch-and-eradicate steps. Notably, some eradication steps require thedestruction and removal of expensive furniture, fixtures and equipment.Note that false reports of bedbugs may cause expensive eradication stepsto be taken unnecessarily.

Many consumers associate bedbugs and other pests with a lack ofcleanliness. In truth, spaces may be “clean” per strict hygienicstandards yet still host bedbugs, because bedbugs can be ushered intospaces by even the cleanest of hosts. While conventional “cleanliness”may not prevent bedbugs, an argument could be made that the presence ofany pests constitutes a lack of cleanliness. This argument becomes morecompelling when consumers realize that bedbugs discharge blood-basedwaste, lay up to five eggs per-day/per-female, deposit exoskeletons whenthey molt, and leave carcasses when they die.

Some consumers may also fear that bedbugs and other pests couldfacilitate communicable diseases, despite CDC claims to the contrary.After all, these pests extract, digest and eliminate trace elements ofblood. In fact, a tell-tale sign that bedbugs reside in a space can befound in the bloodstains they leave, especially along the seams ofmattresses. Bedbugs also leave dark spots of blood-based waste wherethey might crawl into hiding places on furniture, walls, and floors.Given the gravity of certain blood-borne diseases, even if the blood isdigested and dried, it is easy to understand this fear.

Hoteliers understand and respect these concerns and the costlyramifications of a bad guest experience. Litigation is expensive.Medical bills are expensive. Lost loyalty is expensive. A tarnishedreputation is expensive. And bedbug eradication is expensive. To thelatter point, infestations can cost hoteliers hundreds and thousands ofdollars per occurrence, with multiple occurrences possible annually.

To minimize the impact of litigation, hoteliers may wish to know notonly whether pests of any kind are present but also which pests arepresent. Should any claims be made by guests, hoteliers will want tohave verifiable information about which insects, if any, could havebothered the guests. One cannot necessarily assume bites are frombedbugs, or that the bites were even suffered while the guests were inthe hotel. Bites can be hard to identify, even for doctors. It is bestto collect and identify pests to identify the possible source of thebites.

Bedbug infestations can occur in a matter of weeks. While insecticidesare available, they cannot be applied to areas that come in directcontact with skin, due to their toxicity. Also, modern bedbugpopulations are highly resistant to the insecticides used for theircontrol. Freezing and very high temperatures can kill bedbugs withouttoxicity, but are infeasible as a preventative measure for livingspaces. Similarly, Sterifab® kills bedbugs on contact, but does notleave residues and therefore cannot be used for preventative treatment.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention provide discrete and safe insectmonitoring systems that can attract, capture, detect, and identifyinsects and communicate its findings quickly. Because of its low costand unobtrusiveness, the insect monitoring systems described herein areparticularly useful for the hospitality industry, and broadly useful fortransportation, residential, and other market segments.

A discrete and safe automated insect monitoring system according to someembodiments of the systems described herein includes a housing, aninterior chamber within the housing, and a light source arranged withinthe housing to illuminate at least a portion of a floor surface of theinterior chamber. A multi-pixel optical sensor is arranged within thehousing so that a field of view of the sensor comprehends a substantialportion of the floor surface. A processing circuit arranged within thehousing receives optical data from the multi-pixel optical sensor,analyzes the optical data to detect the intrusion of an insect or otherobject into the interior chamber by comparing most recently receivedoptical data to previously received optical data, and generates anindication in response to detecting the intrusion of an insect or otherobject. Detection and/or classification results can be wirelesslyforwarded to another device, in some embodiments, to alert appropriatepersonnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates an example insect monitoring system according to someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the insect monitoring system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the insect monitoring system of FIG. 2 after removalof a removable chamber portion.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D illustrate details of an example removablechamber portion.

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate several schemes for illuminating aninterior chamber of an insect monitoring system.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a triple-entry insect monitoring system.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are process flow diagrams illustrating an exampleimage processing algorithm.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating electrical components of anexample insect monitoring system.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are cut-away views of another example insectmonitoring system.

FIG. 13 illustrates details of another example removable chamberportion.

FIG. 14 is another schematic diagram illustrating electrical componentsof an example insect monitoring system.

FIG. 15 shows an example responsivity curve for an infrared-tunedoptical sensor.

FIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16C illustrate another example removable chamberportion.

FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment in which a housing of the insectmonitoring system comprises a textured surface portion.

FIG. 18 illustrates an embodiment in which textured runways are deployedwith an insect monitoring system.

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a mechanically-actuated luredispensing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In view of the pest infestation issues described above and theparticular issues faced by vendors in the hospitality industry, a pesttrap should embody the following features:

-   -   Safety: Traps should pose no risk to the environment or its        inhabitants.    -   Discretion: Traps should remain inoffensive to all of the senses        (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste), and not arouse        unwarranted suspicion.    -   Remote Notification: Automated traps should be able to        discretely communicate detection and/or classification results        in a timely manner to parties with a need-to-know, without        drawing unwanted attention and without requiring unnecessary        labor.    -   On-Board Detection: Automated traps should be able to        autonomously detect intruders without requiring outside        intervention from humans, be they on-site or remote.    -   On-Board Classification: Automated traps should facilitate        autonomous classification of detected intruders without        requiring outside intervention from humans, be they on-site or        remote.    -   Cost-Effective: Traps should perform the aforementioned tasks        and remain comparable in cost to existing, though generally        less-capable, alternatives, to provide benefit to the end-user.    -   Minimize False-Positives: Automated traps that ultimately        require human intervention should provide a means of minimizing        the occurrence of false positives and/or give notified humans        the ability to remotely reset any false positives. Note that        canines are attributed with ˜80-95% accuracy for bedbug        detection, whereas human inspectors are attributed with 60-80%        accuracy.    -   Leverage Organic Lures: To maximize safety and effectiveness,        traps should strive to utilize only chemical attractants that        naturally exist in spaces, and without elevating toxin levels.

Unfortunately, no existing indoor insect pest trap is capable ofproviding most, if not all, of these features.

The innovative traps described herein are designed to address a prioritybedbug problem for hoteliers. However, as discussed above, hotel roomsin the U.S. are a mere fraction of the total spaces that could benefitfrom this invention. Moreover, the traps and techniques described hereinare not limited in application to bedbug detection, but may be appliedto other indoor insect pests as well.

Various embodiments of the insect monitoring system described hereininclude several or all of the features described below.

Safety—

A crevice-like entry port to the interior of the trap is too small forhuman or pet access, but ideally sized for insects. The primary bait maybe a combination of heat, infrared (IR) light, and a crevice-like entryport, all of which are benign. Secondary bait, in some embodiments ofthe inventive monitoring systems disclosed herein, is CO2, which isnaturally exhaled from host(s) and which can be captured at a point nearor below their heads. (CO₂ is heavier than air and, thus, sinks afterbeing exhaled.) In some embodiments, as described in further detailbelow, chemical baits may be passively or controllably dispersed.Insects that enter an interior chamber of a monitoring system asdescribed herein, which interior chamber acts as a “photo booth” inautomated embodiments, are entrapped on its floor by adhesives, fabricsnares, gravity, slick walls, an out-of-reach port, a closable door,chemical and/or mechanical arrestants, or some combination thereof, invarious embodiments. The electronics in the traps detailed herein arelow-voltage and thus inherently safe—in contrast, some conventionaltraps on the market are actually embedded in AC voltage power strips,which can cause high-voltage shock.

Non-Pest Object Rejection—

Other features of some embodiments of the monitoring systems detailedbelow are intended to minimize the likelihood that non-pest objects mayenter the photo booth. These include, for example: (1) the use of aminimal aperture—the crevice-like entry port is sized for very smallinsects, minimizing the opportunity for dust, lint, and other foreignobjects to enter; and (2) outflow—heat from the trap's electronics,particularly components at or near the photo booth floor, will riseinside the photo booth and be channeled through the crevice-like port(like a chimney); combined with a filtered air intake located away fromthe crevice-like port, and near or below the heat-generating components,this will create a continuous outflow of warm, clean air that will pushsuspended airborne objects away from the port and, thus, prevent themfrom entering the photo booth to produce false positive detection and/orclassification results.

Discretion—

The traps described herein can be approximately the size of a deck ofplaying cards. This is significantly smaller than conventional traps.The traps can thus be deployed in small spaces, preferably behind orunder the headboard or bedside tables. These locations are advantageousbecause they are near hosts' upper bodies and where breath elements,particularly heat and CO2, may be concentrated. The traps may usewireless communications (i.e., optical and/or radio-frequencycommunication links) to convey data; alarm-like audible or visual alertsare generally not used, but may be included in some embodiments. Someembodiments of the insect monitoring system use benign doses ofattractants and arrestants where possible, so as to not releaseoffensive odors or toxins. For instance, infrared (IR) light, whichattracts bedbugs but is invisible to humans, may be used to illuminatethe photo booth, in some embodiments. Trap colors and labels arepreferably low-profile, so as to not arouse unwarranted suspicion orconcern.

Remote Notification—

Automated embodiments of the traps described herein discretely conveydetection and classification results via wireless communications, e.g.,over optical and/or radio-frequency communication links; the use ofalarm-like audible signals or lights is generally avoided. The traps maybe network topology-agnostic, because they may be programmed and fittedto interface with a plethora of industry-standard networkconfigurations, protocols and reference models. Communication topologiesand techniques may include, but are not limited to,direct-to-access-point, multi-hop, query-response, multi-cast, etc. Thetraps discretely communicate, in a timely manner, detection and/orclassification results to parties with a need-to-know, without drawingunwanted attention, and without requiring unnecessary labor. Ifoperators desire more than the high-level detection/classificationmessages, some embodiments of the traps may receive and fulfill requestsfor additional information including, for example, pre- andpost-processed images of insects caught in the traps.

Autonomous On-Board Detection—

Unlike conventional traps, several of the presently disclosed trapsinclude optical sensors configured to capture multi-pixel images ofinsects intruding into the interior space of the trap. The traps includecircuitry that performs on-board processing to detect changes incaptured images and image features indicative of insects. The number ofpixels may range from four to 1000, in various embodiments. Thisrelatively small number of pixels keeps the required processing powerfor onboard processing to reasonable levels, allowing the use ofinexpensive and power-efficient processing circuits. Visible, infrared,and/or other illumination of the interior chamber may be used, toenhance the captured optical images. Because the traps are designed toensure that insects become trapped in the invention's “photo booth,”image capture and process intervals may occur at slow frame rates, tominimize energy consumption by the device. Systems may be configured toenter SLEEP and/or POWER-OFF modes to further conserve energy.

Structured Lighting—

The traps may use one or combinations of several structured lightingapproaches. First, to enhance contrast, some embodiments usebacklighting, e.g., through a floor of the interior chamber, opposite tothe imaging sensor, to produce silhouette images. Some embodiments mayuse angled lighting, to create shadows and enhance dimensionality. Someof these and some other embodiments may use flood lighting, toilluminate insects in the “photo booth” and to allow their features tobe distinguished. Combinations of these techniques may also be used.Infrared (IR) lighting may be used, in some embodiments—in addition toits ability to lure bedbugs, tuning the imaging system to IR light canmake the imaging less vulnerable to changes in ambient light, which canenter the photo booth through the crevice-like port.

Onboard Image Pre-Processing—

In various embodiments of the inventive insect monitoring systemdescribed herein, any combination of background subtraction, noisefiltering, contrast enhancement, global or local thresholding, andmorphological opening may be applied to the images captured within thesystem. Background subtraction computes the foreground of the image foranalysis. Background subtraction could be implemented as simply assubtracting some original image, but, more likely, the background to besubtracted will be a weighted average of a series of previous images.Noise filtering may include one or more of several techniques, such astemporal filtering or spatial filtering via a low-pass filter. Noisereduction may occur before or after background subtraction. Lightcompensation and contrast enhancement may be applied, including, forexample, intensity normalization, dynamic range compression, and/orhistogram equalization algorithms. Then, a morphological opening may beapplied to the resulting image in order better define the individualinsects, if there is more than one. A global threshold calculated fromthe image histogram or local thresholds based on values of nearby pixelsmay be applied to the resulting image.

Onboard Region Identification—

In some embodiments, basic detection of an insect is based on backgroundsubtraction only. Contrast detection or a high-pass filter may also beused, where gradients are calculated to define boundaries betweenobjects and the background. In some embodiments, blob detection may alsobe employed to identify groups of adjacent pixels that may be indicativeof one or more pests. Blobs are connected components that can be foundusing various techniques such as region growing. The results of thisdetection are frequently called regions of interest (ROIs) or justregions. As bedbugs have the tendency to become translucent when unfed,some regions may contain “holes.” Some embodiments may use ahole-filling procedure or morphological closing to remove these holes.

Onboard Region Description—

There are a number of ways to determine whether a region of interestcontains an insect or some other benign object. Each region has a numberof descriptors that define properties of the region as a whole. Thesedescriptors include color or grayscale histograms for the region, theshape of the region, size of the region, aspect ratios of the region,centroid of the region and other regional moments. Some embodiments ofthe automated insect monitoring system calculate these descriptors forregions of interest and compare them to known descriptors for commonpests. The area occupied by an intruder, defined as the number of pixelsin a blob or inside a boundary (also known as “hull”) may be used todefine insects. Similarly, the perimeter of a region of interest,defined as the number of pixels along the boundary, may be used toidentify insects. Aspect ratios, defined as ratios of the blobs'length-to-width, major-to-minor axis variance, or major-to-minoreigenvalues, can also be used to characterize a region of interest andthen to identify insects.

Negative Feedback—

Embodiments of the insect monitoring system may receive feedback fromremote or proximal operators, including the results of backgroundsubtraction. Examples of feedback include, but are not limited to (1)indicators of dead pixels, likely malfunctioning photo-sites, which canbe subsequently ignored so as to not be confused with pests; (2)indicators of non-pest objects, likely inert objects (e.g., lint, dust,airborne particles, etc.) that enter the photo booth, which can besubsequently ignored so as to not be confused with pests.

Autonomous On-Board Classification—

Once a region of interest has been determined to contain an insect, itis useful to classify the type of insect, to correctly combat theinfestation. In some embodiments, the onboard processing is adapted toperform autonomous classification of detected intruders in order todifferentiate among several types of insects and/or among distinctstages of an insect's lifecycle. This implementation may includecomparison of one or more region descriptors described above to storedprofiles for two or more types or stages of insects. Once again,classification may be performed without requiring outside interventionfrom humans, whether on-site or remote. Methods of comparison mayinclude simple differencing techniques and principle component analysis(PCA). Other moment-based techniques, including raw, central,scale-invariant, rotation-invariant and translation-invariant may alsobe used. Template matching may be used, in some embodiments, where oneor more convolution kernels may be applied to regions of the image todetect similar patterns. Templates can be shapes of features or ofentire insects, which may be “AND'ed” with the image at differentrotations and at different scales. In some embodiments, a clustering ornearest-neighbor algorithm may be employed for classification. The errormetrics for any of these algorithms might include a diverse set ofregion descriptors.

Advantages of some embodiments of the insect monitoring systemsdescribed herein include that the systems are cost-effective. Automatedembodiments of the monitoring systems provide unattended pest detection,unlike alternative technologies, and can do so at a similar cost.

The insect monitoring systems also provide superior performance. Thesystems can be placed very close to hosts without offending or being ahazard and thus can leverage hosts' naturally-occurring attractants dueto proximity. In some configurations and deployments, the monitoringsystems can also leverage hosts' naturally-occurring attractants bydrawing CO₂ into the photo booth, and exhausting it through thecrevice-like port. Some embodiments can generate IR light, which isabsorbed by CO₂ and thus acts as a lure for bedbugs. Some embodimentsmay generate heat, like mammalian hosts, which originates and isconcentrated in the photo booth and exhausted through the crevice-likeport. The crevice-like ports of the monitoring systems attract pests,like bedbugs, that seek nooks in which to hide. In some embodiments,additional baits can be placed inside the photo booth.

The monitoring systems can also be operated at low costs. Savings inoperating costs per system are realized primarily through reduced labor,but may also include accrue from reduced bait costs and from the valueof early detection and intervention (i.e., early detection may preventinfestations). When multiplied by dozens, perhaps thousands, of rooms ina property or group of properties, these cost savings can besignificant.

FIG. 1 provides an exterior view of an example automated insectmonitoring system 100 that implements at least some of the featuresdescribed above. FIG. 2 provides a cut-away view showing the interior ofthe same insect monitoring system 100. FIG. 3 provides a view ofautomated insect monitoring system 100 in which a removable chamberportion 120 has been removed from the main body, while FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c,and 4d provided exploded views of the removable chamber portion 120. Itshould be appreciated that the monitoring electronics andoptoelectronics may be omitted in embodiments that are not automated.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, insect monitoring system 100 comprises amulti-part housing, including a main body 110 and a removable chamberportion 120, each of which may be made from inexpensive plasticmaterials, in some embodiments. In the illustrated example, a tab 140 isprovided to allow the removable chamber 120 to be slid at least partlyout of the main body 110, for inspection or replacement. In someembodiments, tab 140 must be manipulated in a particular direction todisengage a latching mechanism that retains the removable chamber 120within the main body during normal use. The chamber portion 120 alsoincludes a crevice 130, which is sized to allow an adult bedbug to enteran interior chamber within the removable chamber portion 120.

The main body 110 has an interior region 170, which may be used to houseelectronics, one or more batteries, etc. Batteries are not shown in thefigures, but FIG. 2 does illustrate a circuit board 210, which carries apackaged multi-pixel optical sensor 230 and a lens assembly 220, as wellas an electronics circuit 250, which in turn may comprise a processor,memory, and a communications circuit, in some embodiments.

The illustrated automated insect monitoring system 100 also includes aheating element 310 and a printed circuit 320 for carrying backlightingcomponents. It will be appreciated that the heating element 310, asdiscussed in detail below, is optional, and thus may not appear in someembodiments. Further, as discussed below, the illumination in somemonitoring system embodiments may be provided by means other thanbacklighting, in which case the printed circuit board 320 may not bepresent at all, or may be positioned elsewhere in the apparatus.

In some embodiments, the outer dimensions of the insect monitoringsystem 100 may be about 75 millimeters by 45 millimeters by 20millimeters, for systems that are powered by two AA-sized batterieshoused within the system package. Embodiments that receive externalpower or that use smaller batteries may be considerably smaller, e.g.,having a reduced length. Some of these embodiments may have dimensionsof about 30 millimeters by 45 millimeters by 20 millimeters. Theinterior dimensions of the photo chamber, which is described in moredetail below, may have dimensions of about 10 millimeters by about 10millimeters by about 5 to 30 millimeters, with the latter (height)dimension possibly depending on whether the interior chamberincorporates a “pitfall” element to prevent an intruding insect fromclimbing back through the entry crevice 130.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D provide exploded views of an example embodimentof a removable chamber portion 120. This example embodiment comprises amain cartridge body 410, which includes guide/retaining pins 420 tofacilitate insertion and removal of the removable chamber portion 120 inthe main body 110. In the illustrated embodiment, an interior chamber430 is defined within: a removable, transparent, ceiling piece 440; aremovable, transparent or translucent floor section 435 opposite theceiling piece 440; an end cap 445; and interior side walls of the maincartridge body 410. The ceiling piece 440 constrains vertical movementby an insect in the internal chamber 430, and is transparent to allowvisual inspection of the internal chamber 430, when the removablechamber portion 120 is removed from the main body 110, as well as, insome embodiments, to provide visibility into the internal chamber 430for the multi-pixel optical sensor 230. The floor section 435 istransparent or translucent to further aid visual inspection of theinternal chamber 430 and/or to allow artificial illumination from belowthe internal chamber 430. In the illustrated embodiment, the verticalposition of the ceiling piece 440, relative to the floor section 435,keeps the insect confined within a narrow region, which minimizes thedepth of field needed for the optical sensor 230. In some embodiments,as will be discussed in further detail below, the internal chamber 430and any insects therein may be illuminated through the transparentceiling piece 440 as well.

End cap 445 includes an opening 447 to allow air/gas flow through theinterior chamber 430. A screen assembly 450, which comprises a filterframe 452 and a screen element 454, is retained against the maincartridge body 410 by the end cap 445, allowing air/gas flow butpreventing any insects within the internal chamber 430 from escaping. Inoperation, heat generated by the electronics within the monitoringsystem 100 will flow through the opening 447, into the internal chamber430, and out the crevice 130, providing a natural lure to bedbugs.

Notably, heat can act as an attractant (lure), arrestant, and repellant,for bedbugs, depending on the temperature. At temperatures close tohuman body temperature, e.g., at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, airflowing or radiating out of the crevice 130 acts as an attractant forbedbugs. At higher temperatures, e.g., at temperatures above about 130degrees Fahrenheit, air flowing or radiating out of the crevice 130 actsas a repellant. Within the interior chamber 430, air at temperaturesabove about 130 degrees Fahrenheit will serve as an arrestant,immobilizing most insects that have entered the chamber. Thus, in someembodiments, a heater can be selectively activated under microprocessorcontrol, upon the detection of an insect intrusion into the interiorchamber. This will serve to immobilize the insect, facilitating clearerimaging for classification purposes.

In some embodiments, as will be described in further detail below,gaseous attractants, arrestants, and repellants may also be controllablyreleased within the monitoring system 100, and allowed to flow throughthe internal chamber 430 and out the crevice 130 in the same mannerdescribed above.

In some embodiments, the surface of floor section 435 may have a tackysubstance on it, so as to capture an intruding insect and keep itrelatively still for imaging purposes, as well as for subsequentanalysis. This tacky substance may comprise a liquid applied to thefloor section 435, or a tacky film applied to the floor section 435,etc.

Insect monitoring system 100 further includes a light source arranged sothat it illuminates at least a portion of the surface of floor section435. The light source can be arranged in any of a variety of positionsaround the interior chamber 430. In some embodiments, such as in thesimplified version of monitoring system 100 shown in FIG. 5, the lightsource is a single point source 510, such as a light-emitting diode(LED), positioned so that it illuminates the surface of floor section435 from the opposite side of the interior chamber 430. In someembodiments, the light source may be positioned so that it illuminatesthe surface of floor section 435 from an angle (relative to the floorsurface's perpendicular), as shown in FIG. 6, to generate shadows on thesurface of floor section 435 from an insect or other object on thefloor's surface. These shadows can be exploited by the image processingto enhance insect detection and/or identification. Of course, while onlya single point light source is illustrated in these and several otherembodiments, two or more point sources, e.g., LEDs, may be used in someembodiments, e.g., to provide more intense or more uniform illumination.

In other embodiments, the illumination of the floor section 435 is notprovided by shining light through the interior chamber 430, but isinstead provided from behind a transparent or translucent portion of thefloor section 435. Examples of this approach are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.The example in FIG. 7 shows an array of point light sources 710 (e.g.,LEDs) that are affixed to the main body 110 and that directs light intothe edge of the floor section 435, which in this case is adapted to actas an optical waveguide, e.g., a “light pipe,” so as to illuminate thesurface of the floor section 435. The floor section 435 receives thelight from point light sources 710, diffuses it, and delivers it to thesurface of the floor section 435. Inexpensive plastic light pipes arecommonly used in handheld electronic devices, and are readily adaptableto the configuration shown in FIG. 7.

The example in FIG. 8 illustrates a different approach to illuminatingthe surface of floor section 435 from behind. With this approach, anarray of point light sources 810 are affixed to a rigid surface thatextends behind a transparent or translucent portion of the floor section435. The floor section 435 in this case may act as a diffuser, or aseparate diffuser may be positioned between the point light sources 810and the floor section 435, to provide more uniform illumination of thesurface. Again, inexpensive plastic light diffusers are well known andreadily adaptable to configurations like those shown in FIG. 8.

The light source may emit visible or invisible light (e.g., infrared),in various embodiments. Infrared light may be particularly advantageousin some embodiments, for several reasons. For example, if the input oroutput of the optical sensor 230 is tuned (e.g., through opticalfiltering, digital filtering, or other means) so that the resultingimage data reflects a sensitivity to infrared light but less sensitivityto visible light, then the system will be less sensitive to variationsin ambient light that may leak through the crevice 130 to the interiorchamber 430. Further, infrared light is expected to be a lure forbedbugs—as a result, infrared illumination leaking from inside thechamber portion 120 to the outside of the device may attract bedbugs tothe interior chamber 435. FIG. 15 illustrates an example responsivitycurve for a near-infrared-tuned CMOS optical sensor, where relativeresponsivity is plotted against the received light's wavelength.

With the approaches shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and with variants of thoseapproaches, an insect on the surface of floor section 435 is illuminatedfrom behind (with respect to the optical sensor 230), presenting theoptical sensor 230 with a silhouette view of the insect. While theseapproaches do not illuminate those surface details of the insect thatface the optical sensor 230, they do have the advantage of facilitatingthe collection of very high-contrast images. They also have thepotential to illuminate an insect's internal features, which mayfacilitate detection and classification, including a means to estimatehow recently the insect fed. Note that a backlighting approach likethose shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be combined with a front-lightingapproach like that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in some embodiments. In someof these embodiments, the lighting from behind the floor section 435 andfrom above the floor section 435 may occupy different parts of theelectromagnetic spectrum, to facilitate more sophisticated imageprocessing and improved identification and/or classification of insectsthat intrude into the interior chamber 430.

In each of these example embodiments discussed above, insect monitoringsystem 100 also includes a multi-pixel optical sensor 230, which isarranged within the housing so that the sensor's field of view covers asubstantial portion of the surface of floor section 435. As a result ofthis configuration, each of the multiple pixels of the optical sensor230 corresponds to, i.e., can be mapped to, a segment of the floorsurface. In the illustrated embodiments, the optical sensor 230 isarranged so that it is directly opposite the surface of the floorsection 435 so as to have a head-on view of the floor section's surface.It will be appreciated, however, that the optical sensor 230 may bearranged at any of several other points around the interior chamber,e.g., so that it has an angled view of the surface of floor section 435,so long as the sensor's field of view encompasses a substantial part ofthe floor section's surface.

In the illustrated embodiments described above, the chamber portion 120is designed so that it can be at least partly separated from the mainbody 110 of the housing, to allow visual inspection of the interiorchamber 430. This was shown in FIG. 3, which illustrates an embodimentin which the chamber portion 120 can be completely separated from themain body 110. It will be appreciated that chamber 120 and main body 110can be designed with any of a wide variety of retaining features toallow the two pieces to be “snapped” together and apart, without damageto either part. In other embodiments, the main body 110 and chamberportion 120 may be designed so that the chamber portion 120 can beseparated from the main body 110 to a sufficient extent to allow visualinspection of the floor surface, while still remaining attached to themain body 110.

In some embodiments, the system is designed so that some or all of thelight source, optical sensor 230, and electronics remain affixed to themain body 110 when the chamber portion 120 is removed. With some ofthese embodiments, the chamber portion 120 may be treated as adisposable part—once it is contaminated with a captured insect orinsects, it can be removed and replaced with an inexpensive replacementpiece.

Some embodiments may be equipped with multiple entry points and/ormultiple removable chamber portions 120. One such embodiment isillustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, which show a triple-entry automatedinsect monitoring system 900 with three removable chamber portions 120.A double-entry system might simply omit one of the chamber portions fromthe configuration shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, for example. Otherconfigurations with even more than three entry points and/or removablechamber portions 120 are possible.

The interior portion of a monitoring system with two or more chamberportions 120 may be configured so as to provide a low-impedance airflowchannel between the chamber portions 120. This feature, when coupledwith chamber portions 120 like those shown in FIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16C,allows air to flow through one chamber portion and out another. Whenperforations 1648 are included in a translating panel 1645 on each ofthe chamber portions 120, then this airflow is possible regardless ofwhether or not one of the crevices 130 is closed by the translatingpanel 1645. As mentioned above, this allows the scent of a trappedinsect, in one of the chambers 120, to flow through one or more other,unoccupied, chamber portions 120, thus acting as an attractant.

As noted above, the multi-pixel optical sensor used to obtain an imageof the floor surface and any insect situated on it is a relativelylow-resolution sensor, in some embodiments, with a number of pixelsranging from at least four to as many as about 1000. Some embodimentsmay use a sensor with 22×22 pixels, for example, for a total of 484pixels. In an example embodiment, the imaged surface, corresponding tothe majority of the surface of floor section 435, is about 10millimeters by 10 millimeters. Thus, each pixel maps to approximately0.45 mm×0.45 mm on the floor, which provides enough resolution to detectand classify insects using the various algorithms discussed herein. Asmaller number of pixels may be suitable for embodiments in which onlydetection of an intruding insect is needed, or for embodiments where themulti-pixel is moved (i.e., translated and/or rotated) while capturingimage data, so as to “scan” the imaged surface. In embodiments whereclassification of the insect is desired, more pixels and a higherresolution may be needed, so that the smallest insect that isanticipated to be imaged occupies enough pixels in a captured image forthe appropriate processing to be carried out. For bedbug detection, forexample, the image sensor may be arranged, relative to the imaged floorsurface, so that each pixel corresponds to no more than about 0.5millimeters square, in some embodiments, to ensure that the smallestbedbug is likely to be “seen” by several pixels.

Requirements for a lens will depend on the placement of the multi-pixeloptical sensor, relative to the internal chamber. To obtain focus andmagnification at a distance of about 25 millimeters, for example, a lenswith a focal length of 2.33 millimeters is used.

The electronics shown in the embodiments illustrated above include aprocessing circuit (in electronics circuit 250) configured to receiveoptical data from the multi-pixel optical sensor, to analyze the opticaldata to detect the intrusion of an insect or other object into theinterior chamber 430 by comparing recently received optical data topreviously received optical data. A difference between the recent dataand the previous data, if significant enough, indicates that somethinghas moved into the image field. In some embodiments, the processingcircuit then generates an indication in response to detecting theintrusion of the insect or other object into the interior chamber. Insome simple embodiments, this indication is simply an indication that anintrusion has been detected. In other embodiments, the difference-baseddetection described above triggers further processing to refine thedetection decision, e.g., to reduce false alarms, and/or to attempt aclassification of the intruding object. The processing circuit includes,in an exemplary embodiment, a microprocessor and associated memory aswell as a communications circuit. The memory stores programinstructions, e.g., in flash memory or other nonvolatile memory, forexecution by the microprocessor to carry out one or more of the severalmethods described herein. The memory also includes working memory, suchas random-access memory (RAM) or other volatile or non-volatile memory,for use by the microprocessor in carrying out these methods and/or forcommunicating through the communications circuit.

FIG. 10 illustrates a process flow diagram illustrating a detection andclassification algorithm that might be used in some embodiments. It willbe appreciated that some embodiments might use only the detectionportion of the illustrated algorithm, while others may use variations ofthe exemplary image processing and insect classification techniquesillustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B.

The input to the process flow shown in FIG. 10A is a multi-pixel image Iobtained from the optical sensor 230. The image data, I, is firstprovided to a pre-processing stage 1000. This stage includes abackground subtraction operation, 1002, which generates a differenceimage I′ as a function of image I and a background image B. As will bediscussed in further detail below, the background image B is derivedfrom at least one previous image, e.g., from a weighted average ofprevious images from the optical sensor. Subtracting the backgroundimage increases the contrast of the processed image and removesartifacts in the image I that may be caused by dust, burnt-out pixels,etc.

As shown at blocks 1004, 1006, and 1008, the difference image I′ issubjected to one or more of a low-pass filtering function g(I′),histogram normalization or equalization function n(I′), and/or one ormore morphological operations m(I′). The most basic morphologicaloperations are erosion and dilation. Erosion contracts or deflates aregion of pixels by decreasing the value of the boundary pixels.Dilation expands or inflates a region of pixels by increasing the valueof the boundary pixels. Morphological opening is the dilation of aneroded image, and morphological closing is the erosion of a dilatedimage. Note that any one or more of these operations might be omitted,in various embodiments. Finally, as shown at block 1010, the processedimage data is made binary by comparing pixel values to a global or localthreshold. This process may be global, e.g., comparing every pixel tothe same value, or local, e.g., comparing each pixel to a value that iscalculated using the values of its neighboring pixels.

In any case, the output of the pre-processing stage 1000 is apreliminary detection output, as shown at block 1012. This output ispositive, indicating at least the possibility of a detected insect, ifthe sum of the processed pixel intensities in the entire image area orin a localized region is greater than an empirically determinedthreshold, and negative otherwise. In some embodiments, the imageprocessing may stop here, and the preliminary detection output isreported. In others, this preliminary detection output instead serves asa trigger for further processing.

In the process flow illustrated in FIG. 10A, however, the preliminarydetection output triggers further processing of the image data,including a region identification sub-process 1020. This sub-processincludes, as shown at block 1022, the step of identifying a set ofconnected components in the processed pixel data, i.e., identifyingconnected components C=r(I_(P)), where C is the set of connectedcomponents, I_(P) is the processed pixel data, and r(*) is theregion-growing function. Connected components may be found using aregion-growing or contour retrieval function. Region growing involvessearching the neighborhood of a seed pixel for other pixels of the samevalue until, continuing until no more pixels of the same value arefound. Retrieving image contours generally involves high-pass filteringfollowed by border following, as shown at block 1026. Prior to thisstep, a hole-filling algorithm may be employed to fill in thetranslucent stomachs of the unfed insects, as shown at block 1024. Holefilling could be achieved through morphological closing or a similartechnique.

In some embodiments, each of the identified connected components (asprocessed by the high-pass filter and hole-filling functions, asapplicable) is evaluated to determine whether there is a connectedcomponent that exceeds a particular size. As shown at block 1028, theseembodiments may provide a region-based detection output, based on thisevaluation, that is positive for intrusion detection in the event thatthe size (i.e., area) of any connected component is greater than anempirically derived threshold value, and negative otherwise. Thisregion-based detection output may be reported (as discussed in furtherdetail below) in some embodiments, or may simply serve as a trigger fora classification sub-process, in others. In some embodiments, forexample, the threshold value may represent a minimum occupied area foran adult target insect, such that a determination that the size of anyconnected component exceeds this threshold value indicates that an adultinsect is likely to be present.

Continuing from the process flow shown in FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B illustratesa region description sub-process 1030. As shown at block 1032, thissub-process derives one or more regional descriptors corresponding toeach of one or more regions in a connected component C′, e.g., accordingto a function D=q(C′), where D is the set of regional descriptors, C′are the processed connected components derived from the image dataaccording to the steps shown in region-identification sub-process 1020,and q(*) is a function that quantifies the descriptors D. Regiondescription sub-process 1030 may further comprise an analysis step thatanalyzes the descriptors, using techniques such as principal componentsanalysis (PCA), providing an output D′=a(D), where a(*) is a functionthat analyzes the descriptors D. This is shown at block 1034.

The output from region-description sub-process 1030 is provided to aclassification sub-process 1040. Here, as shown at block 1042, theprocessed regional descriptors D′ are labelled based on their likenessto each of a set of possible classifications. In some embodiments,clustering may be employed, as shown at block 1044, to compare thedescriptors D′ to the descriptors for common insect variants. The outputof the classification sub-process 1040 can be formulated as X=s(D′),where X is a set of classifications (which may be binary) for eachregion and s(*) is a classification function. X may consist of a binarydetermination of whether or not the intruder belongs to a certain classof insect, e.g. bedbugs, or may differentiate among a number of insectclasses, e.g. bedbugs, ants, roaches, etc., in some embodiments. In someembodiments, X may be a vector that indicates two or morecharacteristics of the detected intruder, such as species, sex, age,size, etc.

It will be appreciated that in embodiments of the example analysisapproach detailed above, as well as in variants of this approach, theclassification sub-process 1040 shown in FIG. 10B includes an analysisof the processed image data to determine whether the intruding insect orobject meets one or more predetermined characteristics with respect tosize, shape, or both. For example, the one or more predeterminedcharacteristics may comprise a minimum occupied area, such that theanalysis of the image data includes determining whether the intrudinginsect or other object occupies an area exceeding the minimum occupiedarea. This may indicate, for example, that an introducing insect is anadult, or has recently fed, in various embodiments. As another example,the one or more predetermined characteristics may include a shape, suchthat the analysis of the image data determining whether the intrudinginsect or other object has a feature matching the shape. The matching ofone or more particular shapes may indicate a sex or species of insect,for example.

The results of the classification sub-process can be used to determinewhether an intruder is present at all and/or to identify a type ofintruder. The results, if negative, can also be used to update thebackground image, to improve subsequent processing. As shown at blocks1046 and 1048, a classification result of X==0, i.e., a classificationresult that is negative for insects of any type, results in an updatingof the background image used in subsequent processing, as shown at block1048. This may be done according to a function N=k(I′, B), where k(*) isa temporal filter to incorporate the new image into the backgroundimage. After the background image is updated, the image processing shownin FIGS. 10A and 10B may be repeated, using a new image I.

If the classification result indicates that an insect was detected, onthe other hand, the output indicates the classification or set ofclassifications that apply to the analyzed image, as shown at block1050. This may specify a particular type of insect or a life-stage for aparticular type of insect, in some embodiments. Note that in someembodiments and in some circumstances, this classification result mayindicate that while an insect was detected, no classification waspossible.

In some embodiments, further action in response to the detection of anintrusion, such as a notification or alarm, may be withheld unlessspecific classifications and/or multiple events are detected. Forexample, the trap may be configured to send a notification or otherwisetrigger an alert or alarm in the event that a single adult female bedbugis detected, while otherwise withholding an alert or alarm or otheraction until two adult males (or other classifications, orunclassifiable intrusions) are detected.

Still other variations of the image analysis and alert reporting arepossible. For example, bedbugs that have recently fed may be difficultto classify as male or female, due to abdominal distension caused by thefeeding. In some embodiments, then, the processing circuit may beconfigured to delay all or part of the analysis to classify theintruding insect or object until a predetermined time period after theintrusion is first detected.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the electronics included insome embodiments of the insect monitoring systems described herein.These electronics consist of three major subsections: power, processing,and communications. The power supply circuit 1110 has a modular design,in some embodiments, allowing the design to be changed to best fit aspecific market. In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 1110interfaces to AC power provided from a wall outlet, while in others itis powered by one or more batteries, e.g., a pair of conventional AAbatteries. It will be appreciated that the details of the power circuit1110 will vary, depending on the input and the specific requirements,but it will be further appreciated that various circuit designs for awide range of inputs and performance requirements are well known.

The illustrated example circuit further shows a voltage regulationcircuit 1120, which operates to bring the voltage down to an operatinglevel for powering the optical sensor 230, LEDs 510, 710, and 810processor/memory circuit 1130, and communication circuit 1140. Anappropriate output voltage for the voltage regulation circuit 1120 maybe 1.8 volts, for example, although other voltages are possible. Again,designs and components for providing the necessary performance ofvoltage regulation circuit 1120 are well known.

Processor/memory circuit 1130 can either be standalone or containedwithin an applications-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that alsocomprises the communications circuit 1140. The processor/memory circuit1130 comprises one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digitalsignal processors, or the like, coupled to memory that stores programinstructions for carrying out control of the insect monitoring systemand for carrying out any of the image processing techniques describedabove. The communications circuit 1140 is configured to support at leastone wireless communications technology, preferably (although notnecessarily) according to an industry standard protocol, such asBluetooth®, Wi-Fi, etc.

The processor/memory circuit 1130 reads pixels from the multi-pixeloptical sensor 230 to generate an image, and then applies one or more ofthe above-described algorithms, or variants thereof, to detect insectintruders and/or classify the intruding insects. Using general purposeI/O pins, the processor/memory circuit 1130 can toggle the LED(s) asnecessary, e.g., to provide constant illumination or flashingillumination, etc. Upon obtaining a detection and/or classificationresult, the processor/memory circuit 1130 sends a message to a remotedevice, the device carrying an indication that an insect has beendetected. Any or all of the detection and/or classification results maybe forwarded as part of this message, or in response to a query receivedfrom the remote device. In some embodiments, no image data is forwardedto the remote device. In other embodiments, image data is forwardedalong with the detection/classification indication. In still others,image data associated with a detection/classification event may bestored in memory, and subsequently forwarded to a remote device inresponse to a specific inquiry.

In some embodiments, the communications circuit 1140 is also designedfor modularity, so that the specifics of the supported communicationslink can be changed to best suit a specific market. Circuits supportingBluetooth Smart®, ANT+, and Wi-Fi are currently available and may besuitable for various applications of the insect monitoring system. Eachhas its own drawbacks and benefits; power consumption, the availabilityof email alerts, phone connectivity, and network privacy are allconsiderations.

While the use of chemicals may be unnecessary or undesirable inapplications, some variants of the insect monitoring systems describedabove contain a means to dispense chemical compounds, such asattractants, repellants and arrestants. These compounds may be syntheticor natural pheromones, kairomones, essential oils, etc. They may also bein liquid, solid, and vapor states. Additionally, they may be suspendedin a gel. They may also be contained in reservoirs, vessels, or wrapperswith one or more apertures, including porous membranes, to limit theoutflow. A space in the lower portion of the monitoring system isdesigned to receive and store these compounds, which may be provided inremovable and replaceable packaging. In some embodiments, an attractantdisposed in one of the monitoring systems described herein may includeinsect harborage material, such as shredded paper, fabric, or othermaterial that previously provided a nesting area for insects.Preferably, such insect harborage material is treated, prior to use, tomake it non-viable, in that it no longer includes eggs or other livingmaterial.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate an example insect monitoring system 1200that is adapted to contain two containers/dispensers 1210, eachcomprising a reservoir that holds a chemical 1215 (in liquid, solid, orgel form) or other material. While two containers/dispensers 1210 areshown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, it will be appreciated that a singlecontainer/dispenser 1210 may be used, in some embodiments.

The vapors that emanate from the packaged compounds may be channeledthrough each of the interior chambers 430 (i.e., the “photo booth”) ofthe monitoring system, by departing the storage vessels, passing througha plenum into the interior chamber 430 and then entering the photo boothvia a screen. See, for example, FIGS. 4A-4D, which illustrates detailsof an end cap 445, opening 447, and screen 454, which may be used toallow chemical vapors into the interior chamber 430 of a chamber portion120. In some embodiments, a plenum may be installed between the chemicalcontainer 1210 and the opening 447 in end cap 445, to route the vaporstowards and into the interior chamber 430. Vapors may then linger withinthe interior chamber 430 or exit the photo booth through the crevice130. Attractant vapors that leave the photo booth will likely create anintensity gradient that decreases as it radiates; the attractant vaporslure the insects and this intensity gradient can be used by insects toconverge on the photo booth.

Unlike other traps, which require specific attractant, arrestant orrepellant compounds, the disclosed monitoring system can becompound-agnostic. The disclosed monitoring system is designed toaccommodate any chemical compound that an end-user wishes to employ.Further, these chemicals may be automatically dispensed, under thecontrol of the onboard processing circuits, using a motor 1220,separately controllable spring-loaded valves 1230 configured toselectively engage an opening into the container/dispenser 1210, and arotating cam 1240, which is attached to the motor 1220 and can berotated, under processor control, to separately actuate each of thespring-loaded valves 1230. Note that one or more solenoids or otherelectromechanical devices can be used as an actuator, in variousembodiments.

Thus, for example, the processing circuit may be configured to open oneof the spring-loaded valves 1230, whether periodically or for anextended interval, to release an attractant vapor from one of thecontainers 1215. Upon detection of an insect in one of the interiorchambers 430, the processing circuit may then control the motor 1220 torotate the cam 1240 so as to allow the first spring-loaded valve 1230 toclose and so as to open the other spring-loaded valve 1230, allowing anarrestant vapor to emanate from the other container 1215. After apredetermined interval, the processing circuit may then rotate the cam1240 again, so as to allow both spring-loaded valves to close, e.g.,until the unit is reset, either by human interaction (e.g., by thepushing of a reset button) or by a reset command received via theonboard wireless communication circuit.

As shown in the example embodiment in FIG. 12, then, an electronic meansof controllably dispensing compounds is provided in some embodiments ofthe automatic insect monitoring systems. While some passive dispensersmay yield predictable dispersion levels, none can controllably varythem. The system shown in FIG. 12 is an example of a programmable systemthat is not only agnostic to the compounds it dispenses, but can varyboth the dispersion levels and intervals. This enables variabledispensation of attractants, arrestants and repellents. It also enablesschedule- and/or event-driven dispensation. Furthermore, it enablesopen- and closed-loop control which can be user-defined, to modifyvariables that impact trap performance, or adapt to external factorsincluding regional biases, environmental conditions, species-specificpreferences and strain-specific proclivities. An actuator, such as therotating cam 1240 in FIG. 12, is designed to open and seal the aperturesthrough a valve, such as the spring-loaded valve 1230 shown in FIG. 12,which allows vapors to flow from the storage vessels into the plenum,through the photo booth and to the exterior of the insect monitoringsystem. This actuator may be programmed to open the apertures to a full-or partial-level, which is one way of managing flux impedance. Thisactuator may alternatively or also be programmed to open and seal thevessel apertures according to a schedule, or event. An example of aschedule may include dispensing attractants nightly at or aroundmidnight so as to attract bedbugs that, through nocturnal rhythms, willbegin their active state. An example of an event may include thedetection of a pest, which may trigger the actuator to open thearrestant compound so as to trap the insect. A chemical sensor may alsobe utilized, in some embodiments, to provide feedback to the trap'scontroller. This closed-loop approach will measure and report theintensities of the attractant, arrestant and/or repellants, eitherdirectly or through indicators, and permit the controller software toregulate the dispensation, and compensate for changing conditions suchas ambient temperature, humidity, airflow, etc. When used in concertwith the heat flowing through the interior chamber and to the exteriorof the monitoring system, which is also controllable in someembodiments, a monitoring system may be tuned to serve as optimal luresfor insects. Such regulation may also permit maximizing the endurance ofcompounds. No insect trap on the market currently provides this level offlexibility.

Notwithstanding the advantages of an electrically controllable luredispensing system, an example of which is shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, itshould be appreciated that mechanically activated lure dispensers may beused in some embodiments, and in particular in those embodiments that donot include electronics. FIG. 19 illustrates an example of such anembodiment. Here, monitoring system/trap 1900 includes a mechanicalbutton 1910, which controls a spring-loaded valve 1920 that seals anaperture on reservoir 1915. This apparatus may be configured so that theaperture is open only so long as the button 1910 is pressed, in someembodiments, but may also be configured so that one press locks theaperture open, with another press re-closing the aperture, e.g., in asimilar manner to that used in spring-loaded ball-point pens. Otherembodiments may use a switch or knob mechanism accessible from outsidethe housing and coupled to a movable lid or valve on the reservoir so asto allow a user to move the lid or valve to selectively engage anddisengage the aperture in the reservoir.

In some embodiments, a means of controllably closing the crevice 130 isprovided. A manual means of controllably closing the crevice is shown inFIG. 13, which shows a removable chamber 120 in which a tab 1310 is usedto open and close a door 1320 in the crevice 130. Specifically, in thisexample, an end-user may move the drawer's tab vertically tocorrespondingly move a barrier that obstructs the crevice. This trapsthe insect inside the photo booth, which is useful for observation andhandling. In some embodiments, moving the tab 1310 in the oppositedirection may engage a latching mechanism in the interior of the insectmonitoring system, to retain the removable chamber 120 within thesystem.

An automated mechanism for closing the crevice 130 may also be used, insome embodiments. A plethora of mechanical transmission methods may beemployed to automatically close the crevice door. One approach,illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B, includes the use of a servo-driven cam1240 that moves one end of a lever arm 1250, causing the other end ofthe lever arm 1250 to move the crevice door. This actuated solution maybe automatic, predicated on an event like the detection of an insect.Or, it may be triggered by a user, whether remotely or in proximity,e.g., through an electronic message.

FIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16C illustrate an alternative embodiment of aremovable chamber portion 120 that includes a closable crevice. In thisexample embodiment, a tab 1640 is affixed to a translating panel 1645that is coupled to the removable chamber 120, so that it can betranslated between an open position, as seen in FIG. 16A, and a closedposition, covering the crevice 130, as seen in FIGS. 16B and 16C. Thistranslating panel allows a person to close the crevice 130 beforeremoving the removable chamber portion 120 or before removing the trap100 from an installed position, so that any insect or insects insidedoes not fall out or escape. Note that while FIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16Cillustrate an embodiment in which the translating panel 1645 is manuallymoved from one position to the other, other embodiments may include atranslating panel 1645 that is mechanically moved from the open positionto the closed position, e.g., under remote control or automatically, inresponse to the detection of an insect in the chamber portion 120.

The translating panel 1645 in the example chamber portion 120 shown inFIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16C has several perforations 1648 through thetranslating panel 1645. These perforations 1645 are positioned to permitairflow through the crevice 130 of the chamber portion and through otherperforations 1649 in the back side of the chamber portion 120 (or otheropenings in the chamber portion 120) when the translating panel 1645 isin the closed position and would otherwise seal off the crevice 130.This allows airflow through the body of the trap 100—in an embodiment inwhich the trap 100 includes multiple removable chamber portions 120,this permits the scent of an insect trapped in one chamber portion 120to flow through another, unoccupied chamber portion 120, which may actas an attractant to other insects.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating the electronic andelectromechanical components of a more fully-featured version of theinsect monitoring systems described herein Like the schematic diagram ofFIG. 11, the diagram of FIG. 14 illustrates a power supply 1110, avoltage regulation circuit 1120, a processor/memory circuit 1130, and acommunication circuit 1140, as well as optical sensor(s) 230 and LED(s)510, 710, 810. Unlike the schematic diagram of FIG. 11, the schematic ofFIG. 14 includes a vapor feedback sensor 1410 and avapor-dispenser/crevice-closing actuator 1420, a heating element 1430,and temperature sensor 1440. As discussed above, vapor feedback sensor1410 can be used to provide closed-loop control of the vapor-dispensingmechanism driven by actuator 1420. Heating element 1430 can beautomatically controlled, e.g., using feedback from temperature sensor1440, to provide warm air flow into and through the photo booth chambersof the insect monitoring system; in some embodiments, the temperaturecan be controlled selectively, so that the air flow acts as a lure untilan insect is detected, at which time the air temperature may beincreased to act as an arrestant.

Testing has indicated that surface textures can also be manipulated toimprove the ability of an insect trap or monitoring system to attract aninsect. In particular, “textured” surfaces, such as cloth, fabric, orpaper surfaces, are relatively comfortable for bedbugs and other peststo traverse, compared to “repulsive” surfaces, which include sticky ortacky surfaces and very smooth surfaces, such as glass, silicone-treatedsurfaces, and other polished surfaces.

FIG. 17 illustrates how the housing 110 of a monitoring system 100 mayinclude a textured surface portion 1710 on its exterior, extending fromat or near the crevice 130 in a first chamber portion 120 to at or nearthe crevice 130 in a second chamber portion 120, in this case at theopposite end of the housing 110. In some embodiments, the texturedsurface portion 1710 may be at least partly surrounded by one or moresmooth or sticky surface portions. In this way, the textured surfaceportion 1710 provides a “guide” for the insects, from one crevice 130 toanother. This can be useful, for example, in encouraging an insect totraverse the monitoring system 100 to find another crevice 130 when thefirst crevice 130 encountered by the insect is closed, or if the chamberbeyond the crevice 130 is fully occupied.

The textured surface portion 1710 shown in FIG. 17 may be embedded inthe housing 110 itself, in some embodiments. In others, all or parts ofthe textured surface portion 1710 may be provided by an adhesive-backedtape arranged on the housing 110. In some cases, an adhesive-backed tapapplied to the housing may provide both a textured surface portion andat least a portion of one or more smooth or sticky surface portionsadjacent to the textured surface portion. FIG. 18 illustrates howtextured surfaces may be used in combination with a monitoring system ortrap, to encourage target insects to find their way to the trap. Asshown in FIG. 18, a trap 100 is installed on a wall or other surface.The pictured trap 100 includes a textured surface portion 1710, asdescribed above, but this feature may be omitted, in some embodiments.In the figure, multiple elongated “runway” assemblies 1810 extend alongthe surface on which the trap 100 is installed. A first end of each ofthese runway assemblies is coupled to the trap 100, and each runwayassembly has a textured surface 1820 extending along the runway assembly1810.

In the illustrated embodiment, each runway assembly 1810 also includes asmooth surface 1830 disposed longitudinally along the runway assembly,so as to discourage insects from venturing away from the trap 100. Insome embodiments, the textured surface 1820 and smooth surface 1830 maymake up all or part of the front side of an adhesive-backed substrate,e.g., a tape, which can be readily applied to a wall, floor or othersurface. In some embodiments, the smooth surface 1830 may be omitted.

In some embodiments, a chemical luring agent may be infused in or coatedon the runway assembly, so as to further attract insects towards thetrap 100. In some cases, the chemical luring agent is infused in orcoated on the elongated runway assembly according to a gradient, so thatthe intensity of the chemical luring agent increases nearer the end ofthe elongated runway assembly that is coupled to the trap 100.

Several embodiments of inventive insect traps and monitoring systemshave been described above. The described insect monitoring systemsprovide a safe, effective, and inexpensive solution for automaticallymonitoring dwelling spaces for the presence of insects, and providerapid notification of any detected infestations. It is to be understoodthat the invention(s) is/are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Althoughspecific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic anddescriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automated insect monitoring system,comprising: a housing; an interior chamber within the housing, theinterior chamber having a floor with a floor surface; a creviceproviding access to the interior chamber from outside the automatedinsect monitoring system; a light source arranged within the housing toilluminate, at least intermittently, at least a portion of the floorsurface; a multi-pixel optical sensor arranged within the housing sothat multiple pixels of the optical sensor each correspond to a uniquesegment of the floor surface within a field of view of the multi-pixeloptical sensor; and a processing circuit arranged within the housing andconfigured to receive image data from the multi-pixel optical sensor, toanalyze the image data to detect the intrusion of an insect or otherobject into the interior chamber by comparing most recently receivedimage data to previously received image data, to further analyze theimage data to determine whether the intruding insect or object meets oneor more predetermined characteristics with respect to size, shape, orboth, in response to detecting the intrusion of an insect or otherobject into the interior chamber, and to generate an indication inresponse to determining that the intruding insect or other object meetsthe one or more predetermined characteristic.
 2. The automated insectmonitoring system of claim 1, wherein the one or more predeterminedcharacteristics comprise a minimum occupied area, and wherein theprocessing circuit is configured to analyze the image data to determinewhether the intruding insect or other object occupies an area exceedingthe minimum occupied area, and to generate the indication in response todetermining that the intruding insect or other object occupies an areaexceeding the minimum occupied area.
 3. The automated insect monitoringsystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined characteristicscomprise a shape, and wherein the processing circuit is configured toanalyze the image data to determine whether the intruding insect orother object has a feature matching the shape.
 4. The automated insectmonitoring system of claim 3, wherein the shape is characteristic of afemale target insect, and wherein the processing circuit is configuredto generate the indication in response to determining that the intrudinginsect or object has a feature matching the shape.
 5. The automatedinsect monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the shape is characteristicof a male target insect, and wherein the processing circuit isconfigured to generate the indication in response to determining boththat the intruding insect or object has a feature matching the shape andthat a second intruding insect or object has been detected.
 6. Theautomated insect monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the processingcircuit is configured to delay, for a predetermined time period afterdetecting the intrusion, the analyzing of the image to determine whetherthe intruding insect or other object has a feature matching the shape.